RoH: A Slice of Hope
by phoenixhunter47
Summary: Outtakes from Reinvention of Hope. These will take the form of flashbacks and alternative points of view and may fall outside of the current timeline.
1. Slow Dissolve

**A/N: Thank you to miztrezboo, who swears she will never ride on a ferris wheel with me, and to annanabanana for keeping me right with her pen strokes and corrections.  
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**N.B. This should be read after Chapter 8: Like Old Times of Reinvention of Hope.  
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**Chapter music: Life in Slow Motion by David Gray**

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Slow Dissolve**

**:: Bella ::**

"I'm not sure. I'm not really...great with heights," I evaded. Truth was, I was terrified, and I always had been. I hated heights. It didn't help that Charlie was already seated and off the ground. Maybe if I'd gone up and around with him…but I couldn't go, not by myself.

"You can go up with Edward," Alice quipped. "He won't let anything happen to you. Will you, Eddie?"

"No one's forcin' anyone, Ally. If Bella doesn't want to…" he trailed off, and I could hear the reluctance to argue with Alice in his voice.

"See? Now you've hurt his feelin's," she said, deliberately misreading the situation, and I covered my mouth to hide a smile as Edward rolled his eyes. "Come on, Bella. Just once around. That's all," Alice begged.

I considered what I'd been through in the last few months, the changes I had already made. The realization that my marriage was finished, leaving Jacob behind in Phoenix, coming home to face friends I had once abhorrently cast aside. Maybe I could face _this_ fear head on. Maybe it was time to start taking control of my life. I _could_ do this.

I took a shaky breath and clenched my fists. "Okay, come on then, before I change my mind." Alice grinned at me and looked briefly over my head toward Edward in triumph. I felt his hands on my shoulders and he began steering me toward the next available car.

"Bella, you don't have to prove anything to anyone," he said quietly.

"Next!" the scruffy dark haired man shouted as he eyed me from head to toe, before picking at his fingernails indifferently.

"Yes, I do." I exhaled slowly and stepped onto the platform of The Big Wheel, waiting for the next car in line. Edward squeezed my shoulders in what, I'm sure, was meant to be a reassuring gesture. A shiver ran down my spine as the terror of stepping into the tiny car began to grip me.

It swung and dipped as our weight settled on the wooden seat, and I gripped the edge, just under my knees, feeling my fingers tighten. The heels of my boots dug into the foot rest as I desperately sought purchase against a steady surface.

"Relax, Bella. We haven't even started movin' yet."

The bar closed down, trapping both of us in the car, and my panic increased a notch. The car lurched forward, sliding my back flush against the seat, and I swallowed the scream as it died in my throat.

"I've always loved the ferris wheel," Edward mused, and I tried to focus on his voice, rather than the ground as it sank further and further away. Emmett waved as Alice disappeared underneath us, dragging Jasper with her.

"Really?" I asked absently, clutching the bar across my lap so firmly that my knuckles where turning white.

"Sure." I could hear the smile in Edward's voice, but I didn't dare turn to look at him. Turning would mean movement, and unnecessary movement would make the car swing. "Feeling the wind on your face, it's like flying. It's exhilarating."

I swallowed hard, my mouth feeling dry. "Please don't." My voice was barely above a whisper.

We climbed higher and higher, and the town below us got smaller and smaller. Kids were running and playing without a care in the world, families were eating and drinking at the picnic benches, and horses were trotting around the square. They were all so wrapped up in their day, so exuberant and full of life. I tried to steady my breathing and focus on the fact that, for the last few hours, I had been one of them. Nothing had fazed me. I was with my friends and my family; even now, I was still with Edward, and although we hadn't been close through school, he had been there for me in my return to Masen.

I felt the tension ease from my body slightly and chanced a glance at Edward. I was safe with him.

"Don't think I didn't feel that, Swan," he teased, his head tilted back against the seat and his eyes closed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I chuckled lightly.

"Just relax, take in the view. There's no higher point in Masen than right here." His voice spun a melodic rhythm that soothed my staccato heart, and in that instant my entire body surrendered to it. My hands slid from the bar and onto my lap, my lungs filled, taking in the scent of hay and cotton candy in the air, and my head felt heavy on my shoulders.

The stars winked and glistened over fields in the distance, unmarred by the bright lights of the town, and it struck me that I hadn't really seen them like that since I had been in Masen last. Living so close to the center of Phoenix, we had been caught in the omnipresent glow of the city, obscuring any hope of seeing what was right above us.

"It's beautiful," I breathed, losing myself in the moment.

"I hardly noticed before," Edward admitted, a hint of something that sounded like confusion in his voice.

Without warning, just as we neared the top, the metal let out a keening shriek and a groan resonated through the air as our car bounced to a stop.

"Bella…" It was no use, I couldn't hear him. Edward's voice faded, only to be replaced by the rush of blood pounding through my ears. I twisted my head, searching frantically for something familiar—like the ground. It was then that Charlie's voice filtered through my initial alarm.

"Just hold on, sweetheart. We'll be movin' again in no time." He sounded confident, and I tried to draw strength from that. He'd never lied to me.

"I'm okay, dad," I called back, keeping my voice as steady as I could. "Stop worrying." He always worried.

Edward sat up a little straighter and tried to draw my attention. "You know, this is a great opportunity. I mean, really, how often does the wheel get stuck? Hardly ever. It just means we get more time up here to appreciate the view you were enjoying so much before."

As soon as the words left his mouth, it was like he realized what he had said. We were stuck. Who knew when we'd make it back down? My whole body became rigid again and my hands gripped the bar once more.

"Bella, I'm sorry—"

"Oh, God. I should never have come up here. We're going to fall, I just know it. You hear about it all the time—people falling to their deaths off fair ground rides. It's never dignified, always heinous and graphic. I'll be the small town divorcee who got what she deserved when she left her husband. Oh my God—what was I thinking? This is all Ally's fault; I always let her talk me into the most ridiculous situations.

"The quarters stuck on the counter in McCarty's—that was all Ally! Cutting Lauren's hair in seventh grade—Ally!" I cried, in frustration. "Piercing my ears, dying my hair, ferris wheels—all Ally!" I turned in Edward's direction. I was being irrational, and I knew it, but I couldn't stop the dread that was coursing through my body. "Distract me, please?" I pleaded, closing my eyes and letting my shoulders sag.

"Take a deep breath and just breathe, Bella. We're only about fifty feet off the ground; you're not going to die." Edward paused for a moment and I heard him take a deep breath. "You should see all the lights. The town looks kinda nice." I opened my left eye, peeking out through my eyelashes.

"You can do better than that, Baby Bell. Use both eyes," he teased, and as his warm breath fanned over my cheek, I became acutely aware of Edward's close proximity. Panic rose up my throat as I thought about our positions in the car.

Snapping my head around to meet his eyes, I spoke as quickly as I could. "Stay on your side of the car, Edward. We need to make sure that we stay balanced!" My voice was bordering on hysterical, and Edward's eyes widened in shock before his expression softened.

"Come here. Just to the middle, see?" He slid carefully toward me, keeping his tone buoyant. "The car is perfectly balanced, Bella."

"No, I'm okay right over here. You don't have to…I mean…I'm fine…I just…" A gentle breeze rocked the car and I squeezed my eyes closed again, breathing rapidly. A few seconds later, I felt Edward's arm around me. His fingers grazed my neck and my breath caught in my throat.

Despite the chill in the air, Edward's hand was warm and I felt the tension begin to leave my body. I opened my eyes slowly and was surprised to see Edward's eyes roaming my face as if he were searching for something. His brow crinkled fractionally, and a small bloom of warmth started to spread through my chest as I sat pinned under the heat of his stare. I nervously licked my lips, gripping the safety bar in anticipation, and as I did, Edward ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

His fingers traced small circles on my skin through my hair, trying to keep me relaxed. But as he started to close the gap between us, my heart rate spiked. My lips parted slightly of their own volition and the movement drew Edward's eyes. He hesitated for a moment, an inch from my face, and I watched as the gold flecks in his eyes seemed to brighten. Edward was close enough that I could feel his breath bathe my skin and I felt my body tremble with the uncertainty of what was about to transpire.

He blinked and broke the mesmerizing affect he held over me. At the same time, the wheel lurched and I dropped my hand between us to steady myself. Edward muttered a quick apology and retreated to his side of the car.

"Great distraction," I said, my voice sounding breathier than I would have liked.

"I'm sorry, I—" Edward stopped abruptly, a deep furrow appearing between his eyebrows. What was he sorry for? What had happened exactly? Was he going to…surely not? He couldn't have been. Edward had never been interested in me like that.

The ride back to the ground seemed quicker than the ride to the top. My mind turned over what had happened in the interlude, but I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Simply put, I had asked Edward to distract me, and he had. He'd been a friend when I'd needed one, that was all.

As the car slowed, ready to release us at the bottom, I clutched Edward's arm in renewed panic. Edward's eyes met mine, burning intensely as he again licked his lips.

"What I said before, you know, about the diner?"

Edward let out a relieved sigh. "You mean the quarters?" he laughed.

"Yeah," I replied sheepishly. "That's just between us, right? Emmett still doesn't know who glued them down."

"Sure thing, Baby Bell." Edward smiled softly, and just like that, it was as if nothing had changed.

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A/N: ****This is the first in a series of outtakes that will periodically run alongside Reinvention of Hope. They'll hopefully enhance the main story, but they're not essential to the main plot. Going forward, where appropriate (and possible) I will post these in addition to the normal weekly chapters. To get updates for A Slice of Hope, pop this one on alert too. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Let the Rain Come

**A/N: Thanks so much to miztrezboo for holding my hand on this one and to annanabanana who got this beta'd even though she was juggling RL.**

**Sorry this outtake is a little late. For those of you who follow me on twitter you'll already know I was in a car wreck last week so I've been tired and pretty damn sore. Thanks for all your kind words and thoughts. I'm still slightly out of sorts but I'm doing a little better.**

**N.B. This should be read after Chapter 11: Release of Reinvention of Hope.  
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**Chapter Music: I Said by Michelle Featherstone**

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Let the Rain Come

**:: Edward ::**

As Charlie pulled the _Bella-Marie_ up to the dock, I jumped down onto the platform and tied her off. As far as fishing was concerned it had been a fairly uneventful morning, but I knew that Charlie enjoyed time on the lake, just as much as he did reeling in the big fish.

"Do you see that?" Charlie asked as I knotted my shoe lace.

"What am I looking at?" I glanced up at him and saw he was pointing out toward the highway. Thick black smoke twisted and spiraled up into the bright blue sky, marring the perfect noon. "What the…?" I took off at a run down the dock as Charlie followed, his leg hindering his movement. "Chief, you call the station," I called over my shoulder. "I'll see if I can help."

As I rounded the end of the driveway, my feet faltered at the sight halfway down the road. I hesitated for a moment and looked back at the house. Sure enough, Bella's Audi was no longer parked where it had been.

A loud shriek filled the air and my head snapped back toward Bella. Her car was surrounded in flames. Her hands were fisted into her hair and she was stumbling across the road. I broke into a sprint, closing the distance between us, calling out to her as I got nearer and nearer.

I keep my eyes trained on her small frame, as her hands fumbled in front of her chest, flicking one tiny flame after another toward the once-high-end sports car. What had happened? Charlie's gas can at her feet told me it hadn't been an accident. What was she thinking? She could have been hurt—or worse.

I called to her again, and just as her knees buckled, I reached her side, wrapping both of my arms securely around her shaking body. My uneven breaths fanned over her skin and she shuddered before relaxing completely, all of her tension dissolving.

The car was ruined. I could see it better now. The paint work was scratched and dented, the windows were broken, and where the leather upholstery wasn't scorched and burned, it was torn right through. To some, the sight of the mutilated car might have been heartbreaking, and if Bella weren't clearly so distressed and broken, cradled in my arms, I might have thought so too. Her needs and feelings would always outweigh anything so trivial as material damage.

I took a step back, pulling Bella with me, trying to move us a safe distance from the burning shell only a few feet away. She whimpered softly and her tears continued as I spoke. "Shhh, Bella, it's okay. I just need to move you; we need to stand back." I kept my voice soft as I whispered into her ear, not wanting to startle her. Bella moved her hand across her cheek, wiping at her tears and leaving a trail of blood in their wake. "Hold on, don't…not with that hand. Christ, baby, what have you done to yourself?" I murmured. She was a mess.

My chest tightened as I feared what had triggered her outburst. She had been doing so much better over the last couple of weeks. What could have changed so badly that she would have taken such a drastic step backward?

She said nothing, and as I turned her into my chest, I heard her muffle a sob. I cast my eyes over her body once, assessing her for any serious injuries. Bella buried her face into my sternum, her nose and chin digging into the bone, but I ignored the discomfort and placed my hand onto the back of her head. Feeling glass stuck in her hair, I carefully moved my hand to rub soothing circles on her back instead, but her crying continued. I heard footsteps crunching against the uneven ground, and turned my head to see Charlie approaching us both, one hand in his hair, the other carrying a fire extinguisher.

"What happened?"

I shrugged, my eyes wide—darting between him, the wreck, and Bella—not knowing how to answer his question.

"Is she okay?"

I nodded my head, continuing to rub Bella's back.

"Okay then. Take her back up to the house, son. I'll wait here for the fire department."

I nodded my agreement and tried to shuffle Bella in the direction of home. She remained immobile, tucked into my side.

"It was never me," she murmured. "There was someone else."

"What do you mean, Bella?" I dipped my head, my lips barely grazing the skin over her temple. Her breath deepened slightly, and her grip tightened on my waist.

"I was never enough." Bella's tears slowed and she took another shaky breath. Her cheeks were red and a little shiny, her lips were chapped and raw, and her eyes were swollen and bloodshot. I wondered just how long she had been standing out here, inhaling the fumes and standing by the heat of the flames. Lifting Bella gently from the ground, I carried her down the road.

"Bella?" I whispered as her eyes closed. "What happened?" She didn't reply, and I didn't know if it was because she was too withdrawn to answer me or if it was because she was asleep. "You're exhausted, aren't you? Oh, Bella," I murmured, closing my eyes for a moment, and lifting my head to the sky, feeling helpless. She hummed so quietly that I only felt the slightest tremor of her chest. Her breathing was deep and steady, but what she had said before had me curious.

"Who else, Bella?" I tightened my hold around her, in case she panicked or got upset again. I wanted her to know she was safe with me; I would never drop or hurt her. She hummed again, and this time I felt it through my entire body. "It doesn't matter, baby. You can tell me later."

Charlie had left the front door open in his rush to get back out to the road, so I took Bella straight up to the bathroom. I needed to see what she had done to her hand and get the glass out of her hair. I lowered her gently onto the counter and filled the basin with warm water. A narrow shard of glass was embedded in Bella's palm and I carefully removed it before wiping away the dried blood from her skin. She watched as the water grew pink from the washcloth, while I reached for her hairbrush.

Bella's eyes closed and she let out a soft stuttered sigh as I pulled the brush gently through her hair, making sure that no glass remained. On the surface, Bella looked almost serene. It was only her tear stained cheeks, and the scene I'd witnessed earlier, that gave away the fact that she was falling apart inside. I emptied the basin and dampened a clean washcloth to wipe her face. Her eyes opened at the contact and she stared into mine, looking desperate and lost.

Seeing her like that was killing me, almost as if my body recognized hers was in pain and it needed me to feel it too.

In an effort to distract myself, I began wrapping her hand in gauze. She wouldn't need it for long—a day or two maybe. The cuts were superficial at best; it was more for me than her. I faltered for a moment as her fingers brushed my cheek.

"So sad," Bella sighed. I forced my eyes to meet hers and tried to smile, but the sorrow in her eyes was crippling me. I don't know when she'd stopped being Charlie's daughter and started just being Bella, but watching her fall apart in front of me was making it harder for me to breathe.

"My friend is hurtin'. So yeah, I'm sad." It was the truth, but somehow seemed severely understated.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, dropping her head and avoiding my eyes.

"Don't be sorry, Bella, it's not your fault. Is it?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light, but trying to get some answers at the same time.

"He didn't want me," she croaked.

"He's a fool," I replied, resisting the urge to pull her to me, to try and ease her suffering.

"I wasn't enough." Her voice broke at the end of her sentence and this time I was weak. I lifted her head and watched her eyes tear again; I wiped them quickly with the washcloth.

"You are enough, Bella." Her eyes searched mine with each word I spoke, and I hoped she saw the truth behind what I said. Dropping the cloth onto the counter, I lifted Bella back into my arms and walked down the hallway to her room. As I set her down on the floor, her eyes remained fixed through the window on the scene in the distance. Fire trucks and thick smoke were all that was left of the blaze she had started a short while ago.

"You need to change, Bella. Your clothes…you can't lie down in these." I ran my finger around the hem of her t-shirt, remembering that there'd been a time when I'd thought what Bella slept in was none of my business. Walking to her dresser, I lifted out the first thing my hands came to—cotton shorts and a vest. I wondered briefly if she'd manage by herself before deciding to offer, "Do you need any help?"

I watched as Bella tried to unfasten her jeans, her fingers slipping off the button. As she nodded her head, her shoulders trembled and her chest heaved. Dropping to my knees in front of her and leaving her clothes to one side, I lifted her hands and placed them on my shoulders for support. I felt her fingertips press against the fabric of my shirt, before she fisted it in her hands. Trying to concentrate, I untied her shoes, slipping off first the right, and then the left.

With a shaky breath of my own, I straightened my back and hooked my fingers into Bella's waistband, popping the button open with ease. My eyes never left her stomach, and as I rid her of the stiff denim, I found myself again watching the same sliver of skin I'd seen on the boat. Lost in her for only seconds, I quickly lifted each of her legs into her shorts, but I was caught off guard when I felt Bella's fingers running through my hair. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt anyone do that, much less a woman, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the sensation.

The softest sigh escaped Bella's lips and reminded me that I was here for her, not for me. She was hurting; something had threatened to rip her in two and she was fighting to hold it together. I pulled the shorts up her thighs, and my thumb grazed the skin on the inside of her hip as they sat low on her waist.

"You okay?" I asked, checking I hadn't overstepped any boundaries as I got to my feet. Looking up at me, she shook her head. The movement was slight, as if she had exhausted all of her energy. "Do you need me to stop?" I squeezed her shoulder lightly, showing that whatever she wanted was okay.

"Please don't."

That was all I needed to hear. I let my fingers brush over her skin, trailing them down her arm as I stepped around her. Bella trusted me, and I wasn't about to do anything to betray that. I may have been her only choice for help, but that didn't mean that I had to make undressing her uncomfortable.

"Lift your arms for me, Bella." She followed my request, and I pulled the t-shirt over her head, dropping it to the floor and lifting her vest. Her hair swung against her exposed back, stirring the air with the faintest scent of vanilla, causing my head to spin. I focused on the daisy print of Bella's bra as it disappeared under her hair and along the middle of her back. From my position behind her, Bella's face was obscured by her hair, and it was only when she lifted her head toward the ceiling, that I saw the tears in her eyes again.

I leaned forward, desperate to offer some form of comfort, but conscious of the fact that she was almost naked; not just emotionally, but now physically exposed, too. She blinked fiercely, almost unwilling to share her grief.

"It's okay, Bella. Just let go." She stiffened and pulled a ragged breath in through her teeth. "If you need to fall, I'll catch you." I reminded her of the promise I had made on the porch downstairs, and as I pulled her vest down over her head, Bella held her breath. She offered no acknowledgement, no sign that I was getting through to her. If she was going to fall, she was determined to do it alone. All I could do was be there for her now, and let her know that if she needed me I wouldn't be far away.

I steered her to the bed and held back the duvet as she stumbled onto the mattress. "I can stay, if you'd like," I offered, watching in silent agony as her lip trembled. I wasn't sure I could leave if she asked me to, but as she rolled onto her side, turning her back to me, I knew what was coming.

"No, thank you." Bella's voice was tight and rough, raw from the time she had spent crying. Her body quivered under the sheets, and I could do nothing but leave her as she'd asked. Each step I took toward the door, made the ache in my chest seem deeper, and I hesitated in the doorway, not sure if I could pass over the threshold.

"I'll be downstairs if you need…" my voice trailed off as something tucked against the wall caught my eye. Bending to pick it up, I saw it was one half of a photograph. Jacob Black's smiling face stared back up at me, and it was clear from the slender arms wrapped around his neck and the fraction of brown hair at the torn edge that Bella had been in the missing half. Anger coursed through me, quickly distinguished by the realization that _this_ was what had upset Bella.

I sighed, stepping out of Bella's room and closing the door behind me—giving her the space she wanted. But I couldn't leave. As I slid down the door and onto the floor, the tortured sound of Bella's cries were barely muffled behind me. I listened, with my head in my hands and my heart twisting in my chest. I listened as Bella fell, swearing to myself that it would be the only time I wouldn't be there to catch her.

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A/N: Most of you asked for Edward's POV from chapter 11 so I hope this gives you what you were looking for. The next update should be back on the main story, Reinvention of Hope, and will hopefully be on 20**th**** Nov.**

**Teasers on PicTease, Fictionators and Twific Bites via TheTwilightAwards. As always, thank you for reading.**

**Mojo Music: Yellow by Jem [Coldplay Cover]**


	3. Can't Hardly Breathe

**A/N: Thanks to miztrezboo who reassured me throughout this chapter and to annanabanana who beta'd double time when I overloaded her box.**

**To those of you who have messaged me, thank you so much for your thoughts and well wishes following my accident. I'm doing much better now and am back at work.**

**N.B. This should be read after Chapter 12: Reasons and Excuses of Reinvention of Hope**

**Chapter Music: What If by SafetySuit**

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Can't Hardly Breathe**

**:: Jacob ::**

As she writhed underneath me, her body arching and her head twisting, her hair fanned out over my desk.

"Harder, fuck me harder," she begged.

"I need you to be quiet, babe," I grunted, thrusting my hips harder, listening to our skin slapping against each other.

I couldn't concentrate. Flashes of rich brown eyes swam in front of my vision and I lost my rhythm.

"Don't stop, I was so close."

"I can't…"

"Fuck, Jake. Get your head in the game!" Tanya snapped, propping herself up on her elbows. "Your wife's not here now, so fuck me."

A game, that's exactly what this was to her, just a way to fuck with my head and my business. Angry at the situation I had managed to get myself into, I stepped back, withdrawing from the poisonous woman in front of me.

"What the hell, Jacob?"

"Shut the fuck up!" I spat, gripping her hips and flipping her over aggressively.

"God, yes. Be rough with me, you know that's how I like it," she cooed.

I smacked her hard across her right ass cheek and she squirmed against the top of my desk. This had been a mistake from the start, but there was no going back now.

Without warning, I thrust forward, letting her feel every inch of me.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," she whimpered, pressing her forehead against the cool wood. She was right, of course, I knew exactly what she liked. She'd spent three months telling me—provoking me—until finally, two months ago I had been weak. She had dropped to her knees right in front of me and I couldn't do a thing to stop her. I didn't want to. I should have known it would come at a price.

"Please, Jake, I need it so bad. I'm close, I…" Tanya threw her head back, her hair flowing over her smooth creamy skin. My hand found its place at the back of her neck and I fisted her hair, pulling it sharply. "I need more, stop teasing me," she gasped. She was slick with the moisture running from her pussy and I spread it over her before sliding my thumb into her ass.

Tanya released a keening mewl as I felt her come on my cock, and I came hard, feeling her squeeze me as her orgasm waned and I tugged her hair a final time.

Pulling my body from hers in disgust, I turned, reaching for my pants as they lay pooled around my ankles. Tanya lay sprawled on the desk, her ass still in the air, panting and gasping for breath.

"I've never come harder than when you're fucking me, Jakey," she said after a moment as she pushed herself up with shaky arms. God, she had a dirty mouth. For a moment I missed Bella's sweetness, her tender touch and her trusting eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut, dispelling the thoughts of my wife, knowing that I shouldn't be tainting her image with my actions.

"Get dressed, Tanya," I deadpanned. "I need to get home."

"When are you telling her, Jake?" she asked as she pushed her skirt back down over her hips.

"When I'm good and ready. Don't rush me."

"She's going to need to find out sooner or later. Putting it off is just cruel, not to mention pointless. You know what's at stake," she reminded me, harshly tugging on her blouse and fastening the buttons. "It'll only take one word to my father and you'll lose half of your investors."

"Damn it, Tanya. Don't you think I know?" I raged, spinning to face her.

"Don't act like you're hard done by, Jacob. You knew what you were doing when you signed the paperwork."

When Mr. Randell had walked into my office six months ago, Black Construction was still relatively small. He had just purchased a large house on the edge of town and needed some remodeling done. The Randells were from old money back in Louisiana, so no expense was to be spared. He was so pleased with the work when we finished, that he had offered to invest in the company and expand its business capabilities. He only had one condition.

Tanya was his only child. He had left her mother back in Louisiana, swallowing pills and bourbon, and he had no idea how to stop his daughter following in her mother's footsteps.

"_Take her out for me, Jacob. Show her some of the sights in this town. Help her find some friends and a good man."_

"_You know that I'm married, right, sir?"_

"_I know that, son," Mr. Randell laughed. "I'm not askin' you to date her yourself."_

So I had accepted his proposal. I'd invited Tanya to my house, and Bella had cooked and made friendly small talk. I had taken Tanya out for dinner and drinks after business meetings with her father, and I had even chosen her over my wife when it came time to go to the Christmas party, leaving Bella at home sick with the flu. That was the first night she'd tried to kiss me; I had only just managed to refuse her advances. But further and further, I had dug a hole for myself, and each time I'd gotten deeper and deeper as Tanya flirted endlessly, wearing one revealing dress after the next.

It had been a Friday night and she'd talked me into taking her to a fancy socialite mixer at her father's country club. Halfway through dinner she had slipped her panties into my pocket, and I'd known then that my avoidance was over. She had played dirty and I couldn't deny that there was something alluring about her. If Bella was sweetness, then Tanya was the epitome of spice. Dark smoky eyes, a dress cut down to the dimples on her lower back, and her soft blonde curls pinned up off her neck. She had accosted me in the men's room before dessert. With my hard cock down her throat, she had encouraged me to fuck her mouth—something I would never be able to do to Bella. After that there had been no going back.

"I didn't know it would lead to this," I scoffed, gesturing to the office around me. "Daddy's angel. If only he knew what a sexual deviant his daughter really was."

Tanya laughed. It might have sounded beautiful, if it hadn't been at my expense. "He'd never believe you. Besides, when I tell him he's going to be a grandfather he won't even care."

"Going to be a what?" I asked in an unsteady voice as the blood in my veins chilled uncomfortably.

"I'm pregnant. And before you ask, It's yours," she said flatly.

"How? I…but you…" My mind was reeling. I had _seen_ her birth control pills.

_But you've never seen her take them._

"Don't be naïve, Jacob. After what just happened, I hardly need to explain the 'how'," she said sarcastically. "You have no choice now. You need to leave Isabella, or I'll take your child and your business before you can even blink."

Her voice was cold, and cut me with more violence and intent than the blade of a knife. She would destroy me without a second thought, and I had no one to blame but myself.

"It's your business and child, or your wife, Jacob. You choose. Either way, daddy will know by the end of the week." When she finished talking, she smiled sweetly at me, lifted her purse and disappeared out of my office.

~oOo~

"Jacob, is that you?"

"Yeah, sorry I'm late."

"Another late meeting?" Bella asked, as she stepped out of the kitchen.

"Yes," I lied, setting my briefcase down in the foyer.

"You work too hard, Jacob," she said softly.

"It'll stop soon, Bella. I promise." I squeezed my eyes shut, hating what I was going to have to do to her. One way or the other, I was going to crush her. If I lost my business, we had moved and started from scratch for nothing. If I told her about Tanya and the baby, she would be heartbroken.

"I miss you, that's all. It was nice to be close to you this morning," she said shyly, and as I closed my eyes, the image of her beneath me, in our bed, seared the insides of my eyelids. Her soft sighs and gentle moans rang through my ears, and for a moment, I could almost feel her fingers trailing down my back.

I forced a smile as the vision of my thumb in Tanya's ass intruded on the memory. "I need a shower. I won't be long."

"Of course. I'll have dinner ready in the dining room in ten minutes." She ducked her head and retreated to the kitchen.

True to her word, dinner was on the table when I returned from our bedroom. Steamed salmon, asparagus and wild rice, served with a crisp dry white wine. I drank greedily, still undecided on the direction the evening would take, and we sat in silence. Bella cleared the table once we had finished eating, and I drained the last of the wine from my glass.

"Will you be up soon?" I asked, moving toward the stairs. I needed a few minutes to myself.

"I'll just be five minutes."

I sat by the window in my small home office, staring out over the moonlit dessert behind our house. My mind was blank. Despite needing time to collect my thoughts, everything was void. I heard Bella shuffling in our bedroom, running water and then silence. I walked across the hall and saw her standing in front of our bed.

She looked exquisite, in a satin slip, her smooth legs on display. While she moisturized her skin, I quietly shed my pants and undershirt.

As I approached, Bella's head tilted. She had heard me.

"Jake? What are you doing?" her voice quivered in anticipation as my hands caressed her arms. Needing to touch more of her, I pressed my body against her back.

"Shhh," I whispered. I ran my fingertips down her arms until I reached her thighs, pressing them into her skin. I needed to _feel_ her, needed it to be real. She gasped as I pulled her slip over her head, leaving her exposed in nothing but a white thong. Her perfect ass was pressed against my hard-on and I suppressed a moan. "Bella, please I just need to try and—" I stopped, unable to help myself from tasting her. I scraped my teeth over the skin on her shoulder and ground myself into her. I wanted to consume her, wanted to feel her everywhere.

I cupped her breasts in my hands, squeezing them roughly. My breath became ragged as I felt her nipples harden against my palms, and I knew I couldn't be soft or slow like I had been this morning.

"I don't think I can be gentle, Bella," I warned, my voice thick with arousal. I ran one hand down over her stomach and dipped it inside her panties. I wanted nothing more than to rip them from her body, and I desperately fought the urge, reminding myself that this was Bella and she would break easily. My finger circled her clit, increasing the pressure there, as my cock throbbed with the need to be deep inside her.

Bella's back stiffened, and I barely heard her speak over my own breathing. "Jake, you're scaring me."

I didn't want her to be afraid, but fuck, I needed to burn her onto every inch of my skin. I needed to cleanse my body of the mistakes I had made. As I thought about withdrawing my hand, Bella's back arched against my chest and she spread her legs wider for me. She was always so compliant, so eager to please me, but I couldn't fuck her like I had Tanya. My mind couldn't reconcile treating Bella that way.

"This morning you were so…sweet to me," she whispered.

"Fuck," I moaned softly into her hair. "I'm not going to force you, Bella." But despite my comment, my fingers moved against her, simultaneously teasing her lips, and pulling at her nipple. God, she felt good. My middle finger slid easily inside her, and she pressed back into me. "God, you're always so wet for me, so ready." I flicked my thumb over her clit, and I knew she was mine. She always gave into me. It was how we were here now.

Bella wound her arms up around my neck, anchoring herself against my body, and I felt every fucking inch of her pressed into me.

"Take me," she breathed across my jaw before flicking her tongue across my skin, and I felt my cock twitch against her ass. I couldn't take her teasing. Fuck! What I wouldn't give to bend her over and fuck her like I never had, just to erase the memory of Tanya spread across my desk.

"Are you sure?" I forced the words from my mouth, terrified she would take it back.

"However you want me, Jacob. I'm always yours," she moaned, and my fingers increased their pace.

"Fuck," I hissed, pinching her nipple hard enough for her to let out a desperate whimper. I was on sensory overload. I could smell her arousal, could feel it coating her upper thighs. Bella's scent was everywhere, I was swimming in her, and for a moment I wondered if she really meant what she had said.

I pulled my hand from her panties and dragged a wet finger over her bottom lip. I didn't deserve to taste her sweetness. "Open your mouth, Bella," I demanded and she complied immediately. I pushed it between her lips and felt her tongue slide around my fingertip. "Suck it," I begged. Her tongue continued to swirl around my finger as she licked it clean, and like a man possessed, I bit down on the back of her neck.

"I can't wait, I need you now," I grunted. Keeping her body close to mine, I pulled my finger from her mouth and walked us over to the bed. As gently as I could, I pushed against her back, causing her to drop down onto the mattress. I pressed my leg between hers, pushing them wider and exposing her. "Put your arms above your head, Bella." She did as I instructed—no questions asked. Tanya was always so insistent in answering back. I didn't like it.

I quickly pulled down her panties, angering the skin on her thighs with the lace. "Step out, Bella, and stay on the bed." This was taking too long. I needed to be in her now.

I let my hands roam over her ass, perfectly round and smooth, and spread her wide. Tanya liked it in the ass, and I wondered if Bella would enjoy it as much. We had never engaged in anal sex, she was always so timid. I almost knew in my head that she would take it if I asked her, but she was a sweet girl from a small town. I could never expect her to want to partake in that sort of activity.

Frustrated that my marriage and options were limited, I thrust two fingers deep inside Bella's pussy and she gasped and moaned. In two years of marriage, I had never taken her like this. Every movement would be unexpected; she'd be unable to read my face or eyes. Some warning would be fair.

"It's going to be hard and fast, Bella." The statement rumbled from my chest and she purred from her position, vulnerable in front of me. I was done teasing, and I was done with the questions. She was ready; I'd never felt her as wet. Without further warning, my fingers left her empty for a second before I plunged into her.

There was no doubt, I was fucking her. This wasn't loving her. But I was so _in_ love with her that my chest hurt.

Bella's tiny body moved under mine without resistance, just following the push and pull as my hands gripped her hips. "It's not…I can't…fuck!" I gasped, my rhythm increasing, and I knew it wouldn't be long before I spilled into her. Unlike Tanya, I _knew_ Bella was still taking her birth control despite her needy conversations about stopping it.

"You need to come, Bella. I'm close."

Her hand snaked under her body, and I felt her fingers brush against me as I plowed forward, one relentless thrust after another. Bella's breathing picked up, and I knew she was close too.

"Fuck, Bella. Now," I commanded, and as I emptied into her, I felt her body quiver.

Remorse washed over me as I came down from my high. What the fuck had I done? Less than two hours ago my dick was buried in another woman. Any hopes of washing my sins away with Bella, were nothing more than pipe dreams.

"I'm going to take a shower." I hardly recognized my voice as I spoke, and I cringed as I left Bella naked and exposed on the bed. I didn't remember stepping under the hot spray. I only knew it was time to get out when the water began to chill my skin. I ran a towel over my chest and arms, haunted by Tanya's words.

_It's your business and child, or your wife, Jacob. You choose._

I knew what I had to do. I guess I had always known. It had to be my business. I had no other choice. Bella would eventually forgive me—even if she didn't take me back—but my company? I had spent too long building it from the ground up—it was my dream, all I had ever wanted. If I lost my clients, I had no guarantee of being able to start over again anywhere else. My reputation would be ruined, and in turn, my marriage would be affected irrevocably. Either way, Tanya won, and I lost.

Our bedroom was dark as I closed the bathroom door behind me, and I wondered if Bella was asleep yet. If I was going to confess, the cover of darkness would make it easier.

"Bella?" I whispered, as I sat on the bed. "Are you awake?"

I sighed when I was met with silence, and sank back against my pillows. I considered lying. Continuing my lies at home and telling Tanya that Bella knew everything. But it was no use. I had come to know how Tanya worked, and she would come to Bella herself.

"God, I can't do this anymore." Another sigh escaped my lips, as I looked over at Bella's still form.

I waited for a moment, checking to see if Bella had stirred at the sound of my voice, but there was nothing.

"I'm not happy anymore. I'm not sure I… fuck," I murmured. "Jesus, I… this is so Goddamn complicated." I blew out the breath I was holding.

"I can't… I just…" I reached for her, allowing my hand to ghost over her skin. A confession was still a confession. I tested the words in my head—I want a divorce—wondering if hearing them aloud would provide the cleansing I so desperately coveted. With one final deep breath, I closed my eyes, leaning over to whisper the words of destruction against Bella's ear.

"I want a divorce, Bella." There, I had said it. I knew it didn't count. It wouldn't until she was looking me in the eyes and heard the words herself. I lay back on my side of the bed, rubbing my face with my hands. "God, I wish you were still awake." I rolled over and watched the stars winking and mocking me from the window, knowing full well that I would have to face Tanya and her father come the end of the week.

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**A/N: So there you have it. I hope this answered some of your questions. Does it make things right? No of course not. Was Jacob in a bit of a tough spot? Yes, but only of his own doing. He made his bed and now he's going to have to lie in it. The next update will be for Reinvention of Hope and will be up on Dec 18th.**

**Teasers will be on my blog only this week, and as always, thanks for reading.**


	4. Troubles Far Behind

**A/N: Thanks to miztrezboo and annanabanana. Also thanks to my Dad. He kept me right with this chapter—shingles or tiles, rafters or beams… He's my Charlie.**

**N.B. This should be read after Chapter 15: The Clearing of Reinvention of Hope. It takes place in the two week gap between chapters 14 and 15 of the main story.  
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**Chapter Music: The Bird and the Worm by Owl City**

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Troubles Far Behind**

**:: Bella ::**

The sound of a car horn pulled me from a deep sleep and I pushed off the duvet, scrambling out of bed to get to the balcony. Throwing the doors open, I stomped like a petulant child to the railing, taking in the scene down in the yard. Edward was standing, leaning against his truck, with his arm through the window and his hand on the wheel.

"What do you want, Masen?" I yelled down.

Looking up at me, he smiled and tipped his hat. "Mornin', Bella."

"Ugh." I rolled my eyes at him. "Does this mean it's your turn to babysit me again?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Come on, am I really that bad?" He raised an eyebrow and pouted in mock jest. I shook my head and threw up my hands, resigned to the fact that it had been like this for days. One after the other, my friends had all taken a turn at watching me and involving me in their routine. "Great! Now get dressed. We have somewhere to be," Edward shouted before heading toward the front door.

~oOo~

"Just hold the ladder straight, Bella."

"I can do more than hold the ladder and play with hay, you know," I called up to Edward, as I watched him climb up and over the top rung.

"I'm not takin' you back to Charlie with broken bones," he replied, peering over the top of the Miller's barn roof.

"That whole section is flat, Edward. What's the worst that could happen?" I asked, starting up the ladder.

"Hey, hold up. Truth is, I need a man on the ground, so to speak." He made quick work of a makeshift hoist—consisting of a metal bucket and a length of rope—and dropped it down to me. "I'm gonna need you to load that with nails and tools when I need them." I looked at him dubiously.

"What a crock of shit." I felt myself blush as I spoke. I'd been spending way too much time with Emmett. "Don't you people have belts for this sort of thing?"

"You people?" He laughed.

"Yes, you people! Handymen!" I yelled, frustrated at being sidelined. "Look, I appreciate getting out of the house, and being included in what you guys are all doing, but it'd be great to actually _be_ included. Alice had me folding clothes, Emmett put me to work making salads, and I swept Jasper's cellar for heaven's sake." I was reaching, and I knew it. But I'd be damned if I was just going to stand and hold a ladder all day.

I'd sorted orders for Alice when two had come in at once; Emmett and I had worked in tandem when the kitchen staff had been one short; and I'd done the inventory at Whitlock's so Jasper could focus on getting his books to his accountant.

"I can hammer in a few nails, Edward. Please? At least let me up there so I can talk to you without yelling?"

"Fine. But load up the bucket first. And if you break anything, you tripped over your own feet, got it?" he said in jest with a wink.

"Sure," I chuckled, stuffing as much in the bucket as I could manage, before scaling the ladder. "What are we doing up here anyway?" I asked, swinging one leg after the other onto the roof when I reached the top.

"Part of the roof is rotten. I need to strip down the shingles, pull up the sheathing, and check the rafters. Once I've done that, I'll replace any of the damaged sections," Edward replied as he unloaded his tools.

"That sounds simple enough." Edward cocked his eyebrow at me. "Well, I can help do something, come on!"

"Um," Edward started, looking around and scratching his head. He nudged one of the loose tiles, with his foot, and a smile spread across his face. "Okay, so if I pass one of these to you, you can slide it down the chute." He pointed to the edge of the barn as he spoke.

"What are we sliding them down there for?" I asked, following the line of his finger down to the two lengths of wood that he had nailed together to serve as a chute.

"Mr. Miller wants me to reuse what I can. So I'll toss the ones that're rotten right through and you'll slide the ones we can save," he explained, smiling at me.

"So that's why you had me shaking hay all over the ground this morning? To cushion your tile thingys?" Edward smiled as I waved my finger at the wood by his feet.

"Shingles, and yes," he said, grinning now. "Here, this one's good." He bent to pick it up, and I took it from him when he passed it to me.

"Down the chute, right?" I rolled my eyes at the simple job Edward had given me, and he laughed in response. "I helped dad build my old tree house, you know?" I said matter of factly. But instead of stemming his amusement, my retort only served to send him doubling over in near hysterics.

"Your tree house? Really, Bella? It was two sheets of boarding with two short walls, before you got bored building it. And, if I remember correctly, it blew down less than three weeks later. In fact," he pointed an accusatory finger, "it wasn't even _in_ a tree." Edward snorted, shaking his head. "It was built _between_ two peach trees down in the orchard!" I made a _hmph_ noise.

He was right, I couldn't dispute it. We'd been so eager to play in it that Charlie had never had the chance to finish building it.

"Ally and I spent three glorious weeks in that little house. We even camped out one weekend," I countered, crossing my arms over my chest and pouting. Charlie had slept on the porch swing that night, watching over us in the darkness while we whispered secrets and shared our hopes for the future.

"I'm sure you did, but that doesn't mean it was built like a fortress," Edward said playfully, dropping to his knees and starting to jimmy the tiles with his crowbar.

"Whatever, Masen. I'll be your girly help if that makes you feel like the big, strong guy. You pass me the _shingles_ and I'll send them down the slide." I sat down, Indian style, between Edward and the barn edge, and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.

His own eyes danced with humor and his smile was spread wide across his face. I had never noticed the light dusting of auburn freckles scattered over Edward's cheeks and nose before, but in the brilliant morning sun they held my gaze longer than they should have.

For over three hours Edward worked up a sweat, pulling shingles from the rafters, passing some of them to me, and tossing others down into the bed of his truck. He'd shed his over-shirt not long after we'd started, and although I tried to focus my attention on the view I was afforded of the Miller's sunflower crop and the cattle grazing out in the west field, I found—on more than one occasion—my eyes wandering back to Edward.

As I began braiding my hair into two low pigtails, I discretely glanced at the way his rich, autumn colored hair fell over his eyes while his forehead pinched in concentration and the way his lips puckered as he whistled quietly to himself. It was only when my eyes drifted over Edward's toned biceps, and the way his shoulder blades moved as he yanked at the wood, that I realized I wasn't just watching, but staring.

After securing each of my braids with a hair tie from the pocket of my dungarees, I stood up abruptly and dusted off the back of my shorts.

"Bella?" Edward turned his head and squinted up at me, his crowbar in one hand and a shingle in the other. "What is it?" he asked, tossing the damaged shingle over the side of the roof.

"Um…I…it's…numb." I shook my head and tried to run a sentence together in my mind before I spoke. "Everything below my waist is numb. I just need to…walk it off," I finished, unsure of why I suddenly felt so flustered.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, sure, of course," I babbled, talking with my hands and walking backward.

"Careful where you're puttin' your feet, Bella. I haven't checked how far the rot's spread yet." Edward pointed to the section of roof I was standing on, and I bounced lightly on the balls of my feet, giggling nervously at the concern etched on his face.

"Seems solid enough to me." No sooner had I closed my mouth, I heard the crack and splinter of dry wood echo through the air. "Edward!" I tried to move but it was too late. I felt like I was falling in slow motion as the roof gave way under me.

"Bella!" Edward lunged forward, reaching for me, but I was falling too fast. The momentum of my body, and the position of his, dragged us both through the hole in the roof. A shriek escaped my mouth as I fell, and a twinge in my side spasmed from where my ribs had hit the rafters when I'd broken through the barn. We didn't fall for long before we landed on the tossed hay gathered in the empty stables below.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked urgently, landing with a grunt by my side and reaching for me again.

"I'm fine," I replied, winded and trying to catch my breath. I winced as my side pulled and my hand moved automatically to feel how tender the area was.

"You're not fine," he scolded, rolling over to me and unclipping my dungarees, flipping down the bib at the front. As he moved, a hint of lemon ghosted through the air, and I stared at him, dumbfounded, lost in the scent and shocked by his actions. Keeping himself propped up on one arm, he used his other hand to quickly brush mine away and gently roll up the hem of my t-shirt. He hissed through his teeth and leaned over me to get a better look at what I'd done to myself. "Christ, Bella. That's gonna bruise."

"It's fine. Stop fussing," I whispered, trying to push Edward's hands out of the way. His eyes softened, and he watched as his fingertips carefully traced lightly over the angry red lines raised up across the bottom of my ribs.

"I can't take you home broken," Edward murmured.

"I'm stronger than I look." My wrist brushed Edward's arm as I reached up to remove a piece of hay stuck in his hair, and his eyes finally met mine.

"So it would seem."

Slowly, Edward removed his hand from my side and fastened the clips on my clothes again. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" he asked, running his hand cautiously over my hair.

"Edward," I said firmly, looking him in the eye and starting to feel a little awkward. "Stop it. Just let me up, please?"

The teasing banter of this morning had been easy and relaxed, but that had made way for a heavier and thicker mood, something that carried a more serious tone. Sharing that with Edward seemed…strange, although not entirely wrong. Feelings that had started to prickle the surface before Jacob's return now felt like they were trying to bubble deeper, and I didn't know quite what to do with them. I wasn't ready to start thinking about what that might mean—was I?

"You're sure you're okay?"

"Stop it," I repeated, laughing a little breathily. "You're not responsible for me."

"Someone oughta be." He smiled down at me. "You're too important to too many people."

"Edward, I…" I hesitated, not sure what to say. How did things get so serious?

Clearing his throat, Edward fingered my braid briefly before tugging gently on the end of it, trying to lift the tension that had settled around us. He rolled away from me and lay on his back. We both stared up, through the broken roof, at the clear blue sky in silence. Our breathing synchronized, and I turned my head to face Edward and found that he was already looking at me. My eyes held his for a moment and then flitted over his face. I'd never taken the time to really look at him before.

His eyebrows were a shade or two darker than his hair and his skin was a dusted, golden brown. It was surprising—given the time he spent outside—that his skin wasn't a deeper shade like Jacob's. But I liked that Edward's coloring was so close to my own: warm and inviting, not dark and bitter. His freckles weren't as obvious in the shade of the barn but I was still able to notice a faint scar under his chin.

I didn't remember seeing it in high school, and although I tried to stay out of Edward's way back then, we still crossed paths once in a blue moon at the diner.

My world and circle of friends had been so small, but word spreads quickly in a small town. If I hadn't left with Jacob I might have already known how the faded line had appeared on Edward's skin. A fight over a girl? A car accident? Clearing out the likes of James Burton from Whitlock's? The possibilities were endless.

I felt Edward's hand move in the hay next to mine and flexed my fingers almost reaching for his, but they never met.

After a few minutes, I decided it was time to try and get things back to where they had been this morning. "Maybe I should just hold the ladder for the rest of the afternoon," I said jokingly.

"That's probably the best idea I've heard today," he agreed with a laugh, sitting up and sliding down the haystack.

"Oh, shut up," I retorted, sliding down easily next to him and dodging his arm when he tried to sling it around me. "And let's not tell Charlie that you let me fall through the roof," I called back to him as I ran out of the barn and back into the afternoon sun.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. Sorry this one took a while to post, hopefully the next one won't be as long. Next update will be over on the main story, Reinvention of Hope.**


	5. Fly Me Away

**A/N: Thanks to Jenny Cullen for beta'ing this in no time at all.**

******N.B. This should be read after Chapter 18: Loss of Reinvention of Hope**

**Chapter Music: Flown Away by Lene Marlin**

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**Fly Me Away**

**:: Aro ::**

As I lay in the dim moonlight filtering in through the sunroom, I could feel it coming. I had often wondered if my final moments would be ones of lucidity, or mere passing seconds from this life to the next.

I was thankful that it was this way. I wasn't afraid. I was hopeful. My Sophia would be waiting, and Anthony, too. But I would miss Edward. My grandson. The shining light in my darkness, the guiding hand when I was lost, and the heart to my home.

His silhouette drew my eyes as he sat hunched in the chair by the window, leaning over to one side while a stream of silver light ghosted over his cheek and down his arm. I tried to match my own breathing to the steady rise and fall of his chest, but fell short with a wheeze and a cough. An old book lay across his lap, and I knew then that he had been reading to me before the darkness had fallen outside.

I was so proud of the man he had become and the man I knew he would continue to be, and I knew that Isabella wouldn't let me down. She would make good on her promise. Edward would find happiness with a family of his own. I could see that for him now. This very house full of life and love, as it always had been, and embracing the return of children and a wife, as it should be.

A shallow breath stuttered its way through my chest, and I gripped the blankets weakly, smiling as tears gently slipped from my eyes.

It wouldn't be long now. Edward's life could begin with the end of mine. I was an old, forgetful man, but I wasn't a fool. He deserved his own happiness, as I'd had mine.

I watched my life play out before me, flashes of color within the warmest, beckoning light. Meeting Sophia and falling in love with her sweet temperament. The musical sound of her laughter, and the rich, deep red of her hair in the Texan sun. Our summer wedding in the garden—where her bougainvillea now grew—and the birth of our son the following spring.

My chest ached as, for the first time in years, I saw Anthony grow before my eyes. Time moved so quickly; his first steps becoming Edward's before I could inhale a second breath.

But with the happy memories came the sad ones, too, and while I rejoiced at those of my displaced family, I lamented their deaths just as if I were losing them for the first time.

Anthony and Libby's accident. Edward's grieving. Sophia's never-ending sadness, and her own eventual passing.

I felt my cheeks wet with the pain of loss. There had been too much, and for Edward, there would only be more, but he was strong. He would survive the ache my departure would undoubtedly cause.

The light seemed to dim in the large room, and as it did, I tried to focus on Edward, his hand now clutching the book as if it would keep me here, but my time was fading.

I wasn't scared. I wasn't alone. I never had been.

I may have forgotten, but they never had. Edward had always been here, and the rest of my family had always been waiting.

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**A/N: I didn't plan on writing this; it came to me as I listened to Swicthfoot one night driving home in the rain. I cried pretty hard the whole time I wrote it. This Aro was pretty close to my heart.**

**Mojo music: Twenty-four by Switchfoot**


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